\nI had just moved to a new town, hoping for a fresh start, but my neighbor Catherine made sure to ruin everything. She complained constantly and even stole my Halloween decorations. Determined to catch her in the act and get revenge, I set up a camera. What I discovered was far more shocking than I ever expected.\n
I had just finished setting up the Halloween decorations at my new house, feeling a little proud of how it all looked. Orange pumpkins, spider webs, and cute ghosts lined the front yard, ready for the kids who would come trick-or-treating.\n
\n
It felt good to be settled after moving to this town just a month ago. My job was great, the house was cozy, and the town itself seemed charming\u2014except for one thing: my neighbors.\n
Since the day I moved in, it felt like they had it out for me. It started with small things\u2014comments about where I parked or how I didn\u2019t trim my bushes the \u201cright way.\u201d\n
They would glance at me disapprovingly if I said \u201chi\u201d in a way they didn\u2019t like. It didn\u2019t take long for the hostility to grow. One evening, they even called the police because I had my music on\u2014at 7 p.m.! I couldn\u2019t believe it.\n
The worst of them all was Catherine, who lived across the street. She was relentless, always coming over to complain about something. Once, she even stole my flowerpots, claiming they \u201cdidn\u2019t fit the neighborhood vibe.\u201d\n
I was beyond frustrated. Still, as I looked at my newly decorated house, I hoped at least this would be left alone. Just one thing that could bring some joy.\n
I\u2019ve loved Halloween for as long as I can remember. It wasn\u2019t just about the decorations or the candy; it reminded me of simpler times, warm childhood memories.\n
\n
But this year, it felt different\u2014darker. There was a hole in my heart where my dreams of having children used to be. It hurt to know I\u2019d never create those special memories for my own kids.\n
Halloween, though, allowed me to heal a little, one bag of candy at a time. I poured it into a pumpkin, setting it out for the kids, and went inside, hoping for the best.\n
The next morning, my heart sank. All my decorations were gone. The only pumpkin left had been smashed, and the candy stolen. Tears welled up as I covered my mouth, overwhelmed by frustration and sadness. This was too much. I wasn\u2019t going to let it slide. I knew who had done it, and I was determined to make her pay!\n
I stormed across the street and pounded on Catherine\u2019s door, my anger bubbling over.\n
\u201cCatherine! Open up! You\u2019re a real witch!\u201d I shouted, not caring who else heard.\n
After a few moments, the door flew open, and there she was, glaring at me.\n
\u201cHave you lost your mind?\u201d she yelled, hands on her hips.\n
\u201cWhat did you do with my decorations?\u201d I demanded, my voice shaking with fury.\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t touch your stupid decorations! Though they looked awful, if you ask me!\u201d she shot back. \u201cBut I\u2019m not ruining Halloween for the kids.\u201d\n
\u201cJust like you didn\u2019t steal my flowerpots?\u201d I screamed, stepping closer.\n
\u201cMaeve, you\u2019re crazy! You have no proof it was me!\u201d she shouted, her face red. Then, with a loud slam, she shut the door in my face.\n
I stood there, shaking. \u201cWitch!\u201d I yelled at the closed door.\n
\n
As I stood there, I realized that some of the neighbors had come outside, watching the whole scene. Their curious eyes were fixed on me, and I could already imagine the whispers behind my back.\n
They probably thought I was the crazy one now. I just wanted to do something nice for Halloween, and it had all been ruined. My throat tightened, and I could feel the tears building up again. Without another word, I turned and walked back home, my chest heavy with sobs.\n
Inside, I sat down, wiping my eyes. I couldn\u2019t let this go. Halloween meant too much to me. I refused to let Catherine or anyone else destroy it. That evening, I made up my mind.\n
I went to the store, buying new decorations and candy. When I finished putting everything back up, I carefully placed a small camera among the decorations. This time, if she messed with them, I would have proof.\n
In the middle of the night, I woke up to a strange noise. My heart raced as I looked out the window. All my decorations were gone. Again. Anger bubbled up inside me as I quickly threw on my slippers and rushed outside.\n
The cool night air hit my face as I ran to grab the camera I had set up earlier. This time, I was sure I would catch Catherine in the act.\n
I hurried back inside and turned on the video. My eyes narrowed, ready to see Catherine, but to my shock, it wasn\u2019t her. Instead, it was a boy\u2014no older than 12\u2014taking my decorations and candy. I stared at the screen, confused. I didn\u2019t recognize him from the neighborhood.\n
\n
Without thinking, I grabbed my coat and followed the direction the boy had gone. I passed house after house, but none of them seemed like his home.\n
I knew all the local kids, and he wasn\u2019t one of them. Finally, I found myself standing in front of an old, abandoned house. A strange feeling came over me, urging me to go in.\n
Inside, it was dark and cold, the air damp and heavy. I pulled my cardigan tighter, my steps careful on the creaky wooden floors. Suddenly, I saw a faint light coming from a room. I walked in and froze.\n
There, huddled together, were two children\u2014the boy from the video and a little girl, barely four years old. They were trembling, surrounded by my Halloween decorations.\n
\u201cPlease, don\u2019t turn us in to the police!\u201d the boy cried, his voice shaking. \u201cMy sister loves Halloween, but we don\u2019t have any money. I didn\u2019t want to steal, I swear! You just had the best decorations,\u201d he said, his eyes wide with fear.\n
I stood there, staring at them. Two small kids in this awful, broken house. They looked so scared, and to be honest, I was scared too. The decorations didn\u2019t matter anymore.\n
\u201cWhy are you here? Where are your parents?\u201d I asked.\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t have any,\u201d the boy replied. \u201cWe ran away from our foster parents because they weren\u2019t treating us right.\u201d\n
I knelt down to their level, trying to understand. \u201cWhat are your names?\u201d\n
\u201cI\u2019m David, and this is my sister, Nicole,\u201d he said, putting his arm around the little girl.\n
\u201cMy name is Maeve,\u201d I told them, trying to sound reassuring. \u201cYou can\u2019t stay here. It\u2019s too cold. Come with me.\u201d\n
David looked up at me, fear in his eyes. \u201cAre you going to call the police?\u201d\n
\n
I shook my head. \u201cNo. I\u2019m going to take you home,\u201d I said, reaching out my hands to them both.\n
David and Nicole had been staying with me for several days now, and during that time, I had learned more about them through social services. It broke my heart to hear that their foster parents hadn\u2019t even reported them missing.\n
How could anyone just forget about two children? I knew right then that there was no way they could go back. So, I filed the paperwork for temporary custody.\n
It was a bit of a process, but the social worker said the kids could stay with me even while we waited for everything to go through. That was a relief\u2014I wasn\u2019t ready to let them go.\n
The kids were amazing. At first, Nicole was so quiet, barely saying a word. She would just sit by herself, hugging her little stuffed bunny. But as the days went by, I saw her slowly start to relax.\n
She began to smile, laugh, and even talk a little. David, too, seemed happier. He helped me around the house, always asking if there was anything he could do.\n
Having them there made the house feel different\u2014warmer, more alive. I hadn\u2019t realized how empty it had felt before. It was as if David and Nicole had always been a part of my life.\n
In the evenings, I would read them bedtime stories. Every time, I felt tears welling up. I never thought my dream of having children would come true in such an unexpected way. But here we were, and it felt right.\n
On Halloween night, there was a knock at the door. Expecting trick-or-treaters, I smiled as I opened it, but instead of kids in costumes, I saw two police officers standing there.\n
\u201cCan I help you, officers?\u201d I asked, feeling my stomach drop a little.\n
\u201cYour neighbor reported some strange screaming coming from your house,\u201d one of the officers said. I followed his gaze across the street, where Catherine stood, arms crossed and a smug grin on her face. Of course, it was her.\n
\n
Just then, a loud shout echoed from inside my house. I smiled sheepishly. \u201cOh, that. I\u2019m showing the kids a scary movie for Halloween. You know, something fun for the night,\u201d I explained, stepping aside. \u201cWould you like to come in and check?\u201d\n
The officers nodded and followed me inside. As we walked into the living room, one of them asked, \u201cAre these your children?\u201d\n
\u201cYes,\u201d I said, the word slipping out naturally. \u201cThese are my children.\u201d\n
It was the first time I had said it, but I realized it was true. In such a short time, they had become my family. I couldn\u2019t imagine my life without them now.\n
The officers glanced at David and Nicole, who were sitting on the couch, eyes wide as they watched the scary movie. Every so often, they would pull the blanket over their heads, then peek out again.\n
The officers smiled, clearly seeing there was nothing wrong. \u201cHave a good evening, ma\u2019am,\u201d they said, heading out the door.\n
As they walked out, I stepped onto the porch and waved at Catherine, who was still watching from across the street.\n
She looked furious, her face red with frustration. With a loud huff, she stomped her foot and marched back inside. I couldn\u2019t help but smile to myself.\n
The next morning, I did what I had been thinking about for days\u2014I applied to adopt David and Nicole. From that point on, I never spent another holiday alone. Every day was filled with laughter, love, and the warmth of family. I finally had what I had always dreamed of: I could call myself \u201cMom.\u201d\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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